Heat exchanger



K. D. GEARN HEAT EXCHANGER Fbo 15 1966 Filed Feb. 7, 1964 INVENTOR GEARN .Dv

ATTORNEYIS KENNY United States Patent Ofilice 3,234,884 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 3,234,884 HEAT EXCHANGER Kenny D. Gearn, 321 Star, Hereford, Tex. Filed Feb. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 343,252 8 Claims. (Cl. 103-54) This invention relates to the economical operation of heat dissipating equipment and more particularly to a heat exchanger.

In the irrigation of large tracts such as those in arid regions of our country it is the practice to pump water from an underground source into the area to be irrigated. Such pumps are commonly driven by an internal combustion engine which is mounted adjacent to the pump. Internal combustion engines, especially in large installations, are of substantial size and require correspondingly large cooling systems such as radiators or pipes. Such cooling systems generally are subject to the usual maintenance problems, and in addition occupy a substantial amount of space adjacent to the motor and pump and represent a substantial investment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat dissipating means for a source of motive power which is used for the pumping of liquid.

A further object is to provide a compact, inexpensive, low maintenance cooling system :for an engine which drives a liquid pump, and which is easy to install.

A further object is the provision of a high-capacity, compart, low cost heat exchanger especially adapted for an internal combustion engine which drives a liquid pump.

A further object is to provide a high capacity, compact heat exchanger mounted on a commonly known type coupling and which is relatively small and lightweight and easy to attach and remove.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following descripiton in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a section illustrating a diagrammatic embodiment of the invention, with the cooling coil mounted to extend upstream;

FIG. 2, an enlarged horizontal section through the cooling coil arrangement, illustrating it extending downstream; and

FIGS. 3 and 4, sections on the lines 3-3 and 44 of FIG. 2.

Briefly stated, the invention includes the use of a specially designed coil which is connected to the engines Water cooling system, the coil being especially designed to be positioned in the pipe through which the liquid is forced by the pump, the coil being specially adapted for connection to the pipe by a coupling which may be easily and rapidly attached to or removed from the pipe.

With further reference to the drawing, there is illustrated an internal combustion engine connected by a shaft 11 for driving a water pump 12 which draws water upwardly through a vertical pipe 13 into a horizontal pipe 14. The horizontal pipe may discharge the water into a ditch or may extend for some distance with a connection to other pipes for conveying the water to the desired point of discharge. Such pipes 13 and 14 ordinarily range from about 4 to 10 inches in diameter, depending upon the requirements of the operation.

The internal combustion engine 10 has a space, diagrammatically indicated at 11, in which circulating liquid, ordinarily water combined with anti-rust and possibly anti-freeze constituents, circulates in heat exchange relation with components of the engine which are subjected to high temperatures, such water receiving heat therefrom and thus maintaining the temperature of the parts of the engine within appropriate levels. Such heat exchange is well known in engines which employ various fuels, such as gasoline, diesel oil, natural gas or butane.

After circulating through the engine the heated water is discharged through pipe 15, the inlet to said engine being indicated at 16. Such liquid cooling systems ordinarily are sealed, the liquid being circulated continuously. The present invention provides for a heat exchanger for removing heat energy from the liquid after its passage through the engine.

The heat exchanger includes a pair of parallel spaced oppositely disposed pipes 20, 21 interconnected by a plurality of tubes 22. The tubes are of a shape to provide substantial exposed surfaces without material interference with flow through pipe 14, such as the S-shaped tubes illustrated. The ends of the tubes are connected to substantially oppositely disposed portions of the pipe, the tubes being spaced along the pipes from end to end. The pipes have corresponding ends 24, 25 closed. The other ends 26, 27 are connected by elbows 28 to stub pipes 30, 31 disposed at substantially right angles to the pipes 20, 21.

In order to mount the piping network, a coupling 32, which may be of a commonly known type, is employed. The coupling has a short conduit portion 33 intermediate connecting portions 34, 35, to which the conduit may be attached by fastening means 36. Such coupling is commonly used in pipe lines of the type described, being compact and easy to attach and remove.

The stub pipes 30, 31 are mounted in the coupling and project outwardly on opposite sides of the conduit portion 33.

The pipes 20, 21 and the connecting network of tubes are of a size to fit without difiiculty within the interior of the conduit, as indicated in FIG. 3.

The heat exchange pipes may be inserted in a direction extending upstream toward the pump as indicated in FIG. 1 or in the opposite direction as indicated in FIG. 2.

The arrangement of FIG. 1 is especially adapted where the engine is mounted adjacent to the discharge of the pipe 14 into a nearby ditch. The mounting of FIG. 2 may be employed where the pipe 14 is attached to other piping for discharge at a more remote location from the engine.

Accordingly, it will be seen that the invention includes the provision of a heat exchanger adapted to be easily and simply mounted in the conduit of a well or similar pumping system and which provides high capacity with a minimum of expense and utilization of space. The heat exchanger is preferably mounted with conventional coupling such as that with which pipe line personnel are familiar, thereby fa-cilitationg its use.

The invention has been described as particularly adapted for use with a coupling of the type disclosed in US Patent 2,230,468 issued February 4, 1941, to George H. Pfefferle; this is merely an illustration of the use of the invention, as various couplings may obviously be employed, the invention not being limited to the use of a coupling of this specific type.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a fluid pump, means for driving the pump from the engine, conduit means carrying fluid being pumped, said engine having passages for cooling liquid, inlet and outlet means for said passages, said liquid passing in heat exchange relation with said engine in order to maintain its temperature Within permissible limits, and heat exchange means for removing heat from said liquid after its passage through said engine and for recirculating it back to said engine, said heat exchange means comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel pipes, said pipes connected by a plunality of S-shaped tubes, an end of each tube connected to a substantially oppositely disposed portion of a pipe, the network of pipes and tubes fitting within the conduit means and having an over-all diameter substantially filling the interior of the conduit means, said pipes having a pair of their oppositely disposed ends closed, connecting means extending from the other oppositely disposed ends, conduit coupling means, said coupling means having a short conduit portion and means for attaching conduits onto the ends thereof, said connecting means of said pipes extending through said short conduit portion, and means connecting said connecting means to the inlet and outlet means for said engine.

2. The invention of claim 1, in which said conduit coupling means has flanges surrounding and projecting outwardly at the ends of said conduit portion, and means extending between said flanges and holding them connected to the conduit means which carries the fluid being pumped.

3. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a fluid pump, means for driving the pump from the engine, conduit means carrying fluid being pumped, said engine having passages for cooling liquid, said liquid passing in [heat exchange relation with said engine in order to maintain its temperature within permissible limits, and heat exchange means for removing heat from said fluid after its passage through said engine and for recirculating it back to said engine, said heat exchange means comprising a pair of spaced pipes, said pipes connected by a plurality of tubes, the network of pipes and tubes fitting within the conduit means, connecting means extending from the pipes, conduit coupling means, said coupling means having a conduit portion and means for attaching conduits onto the ends thereof, said connecting means of said pipes extending through said conduit portion, and means connecting said connecting means to the cooling passages of said engine.

4. The invention of claim 3, in which said conduit coupling means :has flanges surrounding and projecting outwardly .at the ends of said conduit portion, and means extending between said flanges and holding them connected to the conduit means which carries the fluid being pumped.

5. A heat exchanger for cooling an internal combustion engine coolant fluid comprising conduit coupling means having a conduit portion and means for attaching a conduit at the ends thereof, a pair of substantially parallel pipes, said pipe-s connected by a network of tubes from one end of the pipes to the other, a pair of the oppositely disposed ends of said pipes being closed, the other ends of said pipes having connecting means, said connecting means extending outwardly through said conduit coupling means, means for receiving heated internal combustion engine coolant fluid connected to one of said connecting i means and means for delivering cool coolant fluid to an internal combustion engine connected to the other of said connecting means, the over-all diameter of said pipes and network being slightly less than the internal diameter of said conduit portion and of a size to fit within a conduit member connected thereto.

6. A heat exchanger for cooling an internal combustion engine coolant fluid comprising conduit coupling means having a conduit portion and means for attaching a conduit at the ends thereof, a network of interconnected tubes having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet extending outwardly through said conduit coupling means, the over-all diameter of said network being slightly less than the internal diameter of said conduit portion and of a size to fit within a conduit member connected thereto, means for receiving heated internal combustion engine coolant fluid connected to the inlet, and means for delivering cooled internal combustion engine coolant fluid connected to the outlet.

7. In combination, a heat exchanger and a coupling, said heat exchanger comprising a pair of substantially parallel pipes, said pipes connected by a network of tubes, the pipes and the tubes being of a size and configuration to fit within a conduit attached to the coupling, one end of the pipes being positioned within the coupling and having connecting portions extending through the coupling, the other ends of the pipes being closed, means for receiving heated internal combustion engine coolant fluid connected to one of said connecting portions, and means for delivering cooled internal combustion engine coolant fluid connected to said other connecting portions.

'8. In combination, a heat exchanger and a coupling. said heat exchanger comprising a network of interconnected tubes having an inlet and an outlet, the tubes being of a size and configuration to fit within a conduit attached to the coupling, one end of the network being positioned within the coupling and having the inlet and outlet extending through the coupling, means for receiving heated internal combustion engine coolant fluid connected to one of said connecting portions, and means for delivering cooled internal combustion engine coolant fluid connection to said other connecting portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,026,090 12/1935 Hiller 16574 2,200,397 5/1940 Monson l--74 2,532,995 12/1950 Chausse l65-74 2,566,506 9/1951 Thieszen 103-54 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT M. WALKER, LAURENCE V. EFNER,

Examiners. 

1. IN COMBINATION, AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, A FLUID PUMP, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE PUMP FROM THE ENGINE, CONDUIT MEANS CARRYING FLUID BEING PUMPED, SAID ENGINE HAVING PASSAGES FOR COOLING LIQUID, INLET AND OUTLET MEANS FOR SAID PASSAGES, SAID LIQUID PASSING IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SAID ENGINE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ITS TEMPERATURE WITHIN PERMISSIBLE LIMITS, AND HEAT EXCHANGE MEANS FOR REMOVING HEAT FROM SAID LIQUID AFTER ITS PASSAGE THROUGH SAID ENGINE AND FOR RECIRCULATING IT BACK TO SAID ENGINE, SAID HEAT EXCHANGE MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL PIPES, SAID PIPES CONNECTED BY A PLURALITY OF S-SHAPED TUBES, AN END OF EACH TUBE CONNECTED TO A SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PORION OF A PIPE, THE NETWORK OF PIPES AND TUBES FITTING WITHIN THE CONDUIT MEANS AND HAVING AN OVER-ALL DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE INTERIOR OF THE CONDUIT MEANS, SAID PIPES HAVING A PAIR OF THEIR OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ENDS CLOSED, CONNECTING MEANS EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER OPPOSITELY DISPOSED MEANS, CONDUIT COUPLING MEANS, SAID COUPLING MEANS HAVING A SHORT CONDUIT PORTION AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING CONDUITS ONTO THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID CONNECTING MEANS OF SAID PIPE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SHORT CONDUIT PORTION, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID CONNECTING MEANS TO THE INLET AND OUTLET MEANS FOR SAID ENGINE. 